


Cayenne

by AkiraMokona



Series: Free Samples [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27825220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiraMokona/pseuds/AkiraMokona
Summary: As your final year of high school begins, you're hit with senior-itis. The looming threat of post-secondary studies doesn't help matters. When your friend calls in a huge favor, things go from bad to worse.And yet, you've crossed paths with someone new. A boy with golden eyes and a Samezuka jacket.Seijuro Mikoshiba x Reader
Relationships: Mikoshiba Seijuurou/Reader
Series: Free Samples [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036305
Kudos: 4





	1. Touch

Senioritis was hitting you hard.

You stared at the textbook in front of you. You had only been studying for an hour, but you were already losing your drive. Your back was sore. Your mind wandered. The margins of your notebook were filled with haphazard doodles of samurai helmets and yokai. You were a long way off from finishing the assigned chapters. Your chin rested on your palm. Your pen was flicked over your knuckles. A playlist you had made specifically for studying drifted from your headphones. Lyrics were distracting, but silence made you restless. You sighed.

A part of you knew that this would happen. You had even chosen your high school, Midori High, in an attempt to keep yourself busy. Midori was the all-girls private school. Iwatobi, the local co-ed public school, would have involved a lengthy bike ride to get to and from your house. Midori was closer and it had dorms. It was a win-win situation; you had space to yourself so the transition from high school to university would be easier, but your parents were close enough that you could visit them as you liked. Of course, between your course load and your role as an editor for the school’s monthly magazine, you were rather busy.

You mulled over the choice of stopping your study session for a bit. On one hand, taking a break could help you refocus. On the other, you could make excuses to avoid work until you were significantly behind the assigned readings.

Even with your internal monologue, you were well-aware of the figure approaching in your periphery. Just as something gleamed in the light, you lifted your hand. Your palm covered the lens of the camera that nearing your face.

You removed your headphones, letting the curve rest against your neck, “Nice try.”

“Aww,” a cute face with bright eyes and long hair popped up from behind the camera. Tsukiko. She had been in your class for all three years and your roommate for two, “I was sure that I would be able to get a picture of you this time.”

You spared her an exasperated glance. She had always been a shutterbug, even more so since you had met her. You had spent the last three years carefully dodging her camera. You lowered said object until you were sure that she had given up, then let your arm fall to your side, “You shouldn’t take photos of people without their permission.”

She pouted. Her camera was brought to her chest, where she pulled out a cloth and began to remove your palm print from the lens, “I asked you at least fifty times during our first year and one hundred times during our second year, but you refused each time,” her brow furrowed, pout still evident, “I mean, I’ve been your friend for three years now! I should at least have one picture of you.”

You turned back to your notes, “You don’t need photos of me. The flash hurts my eyes.”

“You got your pictures taken for the school photos,” she pointed out.

“Those are mandatory,” you argued, “Besides, my dad wanted me to get them done.”

Tsukiko flopped down into her own chair, “Alright, alright. I get it. Still studying?”

Your brow twitched. You didn’t want to think about how many more pages you needed to read, “Not really.”

“Want to take a break?”

“Sure,” you turned to her, draping one arm over the back of your chair, “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, since the magazine’s deadline is coming up, I was hoping to run my next article by you.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Tsukiko reached over to her desk, grabbing a fashion magazine, “Since summer break is coming up, I thought that I could do a swimsuit gallery. You know, which styles are best for each body type.”

“Hm,” you stared at the magazine for a moment, “Seems like a good idea to me. Your spring fashion article did really well, so it’s worth a shot. Do you have a model yet?”

She sulked, “That’s the problem. No one wants to have their swimsuit photos published. I would do it myself, but it’s hard to get good photos when I’m in front of the camera! The article’s due at the end of the week. I can’t miss another deadline.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” you stood, stretching your arms above your head, “If you can’t, maybe you should just do another article.”

“Huh?” Tsukiko gaped, “I can’t do that. You said it yourself. My spring fashion article really helped sales. I know that I would be happy to buy a guide to swimsuits. I have all of the different styles already,” a sudden gleam of hope flashed in her eyes. She hopped up from her chair, “Hey, we’re the same size. Maybe you could-“

You turned away from her, “Don’t even think about it.”

As the days went by, you watched Tsukiko exhaust all of her options. She had made a list of every student attending Midori High. As she went down the list, more and more names were crossed out with red pen.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands, “I hate this. I’ve asked everyone. No one wants to do it. Now I don’t have enough time to do the research for a proper article…”

You turned away from your textbook. You hadn’t put your headphones on after getting back from class. You had had a feeling that Tsukiko was having problems. Your brow furrowed. Tsukiko could have avoided this if she had invested time in a different article. Then again, you weren’t surprised. She was the type to refuse any option besides the one that worked with her artistic vision. It was true that the magazine would benefit from such an article, not to mention fashion articles were focused more on quick blurbs. From an editing standpoint, it was a dream.

You sighed, “I’ll wear the swimsuits.”

At first, your words didn’t register. Then, as if her soul had been returned, Tsukiko leapt up, “Really?! You will?!”

“On one condition,” you continued.

“Name it.”

“I don’t want my face being shown,” you rested your cheek against your knuckles, “You just need pictures of the swimsuit, anyway. My face isn’t important.”

“I can do that!” Tsukiko nodded. Her expression softened, “I’m surprised that you agreed to this. I mean, since you don’t have many photos of yourself.”

“It’s fine,” you replied, “I don’t read our magazine besides editing the articles, so I won’t see the pictures anyway. It’ll be easier if no one knows who it-“ you blinked as you watched Tsukiko tear through her closet, “…Is. What are you doing?”

“Getting supplies!” she spoke like it was obvious, “We can’t take the pictures here in our room. We have to go on location! There’s a beach near here that’s completely empty this time of year. It’s still too cold for swimming, so no one will see us.”

You spared a glance to the ceiling. You were beginning to think that you had made a mistake.

You were relieved to see that Tsukiko was right. With the weather still rather cold, the beach was deserted. You stared out at the waves lapping against the shore. You still weren’t sure what you were doing. Modelling for pictures? It sounded like your worst nightmare. Still, you couldn’t rescind your offer. You had given Tsukiko your word and now you had to follow through with your generosity. You crossed your arms. You reminded yourself that it wasn’t a big deal. Your face wouldn’t be shown. You wouldn’t see the pictures. It was for your friend and for the sake of the magazine. A small sacrifice.

Tsukiko was in the middle of setting up her equipment. She wasn’t the type to hold back when it came to her passions. She had even set up a small tent for you to change in rather than having you run to the nearest restroom. She wiped her forehead, then looked up at you, “It’ll be a while before I’m ready. We’ll probably still be here after sunset. Maybe you should get us something to drink?”

“Sure,” you knew of a place around the corner. You grabbed your bag, “I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, _____!”

“I’ll get some snacks, too,” you smiled over your shoulder, knowing that she was about to ask. As careful as she was around her cameras, Tsukiko was still ravenous.

“Thank you~”

The walk to the convenience store was short. A small bell on the door chimed as you opened it. There was only one employee, an older man who was stocking shelves. He turned to you with a smile and a quick greeting, then continued with his work.

You wandered through the shelves. Tsukiko would take a while, so you could afford to go through all of your options. You could save the drinks for last. You tilted your head to one side. Maybe it would be best if you grabbed a basket. No, allowing yourself to get too much would hurt your wallet. You grabbed some snacks that you knew Tsukiko would like.

When the door’s bell chimed again, you glanced up, wondering if Tsukiko had followed you. However, the person stepping into the convenience store wasn’t her. It was a boy you had never seen before. He seemed to be around your age. You glanced down to his jacket. You recognized it. He was from Samezuka, the nearby boys’ school.

It wasn’t until you made eye contact again that you realized that you had been staring. You looked away first, thinking nothing of it as you renewed the search for one of your favourite candies. The shelves were packed with so many options that you wondered if you had missed it.

After a few more minutes of searching, you decided to give up. It seemed that you would have to find something else to satisfy your sweet tooth. You straightened, only for your back to collide with something. You stiffened. Had you hit the shelf behind you?

As soon as hands rested on your shoulders, you turned. It was the boy that had come in earlier.

Your eyes widened. You had taken a step back and pressed right against him.

Rather than getting angry with you for bumping into him, he laughed, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to slip past you.”

“No, it was my fault,” you waved off his apology. Now that you were so close to him, it wasn’t hard for you to see that he was handsome. You found your gaze straying to his jawline before returning to his eyes.

“No harm done,” he grinned, continuing through the aisle.

You watched him for a moment as he looked over the items for sale. You had felt how toned he was underneath his shirt. He was definitely an athlete. It wasn’t a surprise, really, given Samezuka’s reputation. You cleared your throat and refocused on your task, grabbing another bag of candy.

When you were finished, the boy from Samezuka was already at the cash register. He was holding a case of water bottles under his arm like it was nothing. Yeah, definitely an athlete. You glanced down to what you were holding, debating over whether you should get anything else. In your peripheral vision, you could see that the boy had turned toward you. You brushed it off as him looking for something. However, once the weight of his gaze became obvious, you looked up at him. Your brow rose. You weren’t sure why he was looking at you. Had he forgotten something and he was just trying to get past you? No, he wasn’t moving. You shifted your weight to your other foot, “What is it?”

He grinned again, “Nothing, you’re just really cute.”

…What? You had bumped into him, and now he was saying that you were cute? What sort of guy was he? You blinked, too stunned to say anything in response.

“Here you go,” the older man behind the counter handed him some change, “Have a nice day.”

“Oh, thanks,” he took the money, turning to you again, “I should get going, but hopefully we run into each other again some time.”

You stared at him incredulously as he left. It wasn’t until the door closed behind them that his words sank in. You had wanted to pass it off as him being polite or some sort of joke, but he was completely genuine. You felt your face heat up.

“Are you ready to buy those, Miss?”

You snapped out of your reverie and approached the cashier, “Y-Yeah, sorry.”

By the time Tsukiko finished editing the photos and writing her article, it was well past midnight. You were almost falling asleep in front of your laptop as you read over the different swimsuits best for different body types. Since the final editors did the page formatting, you only needed to read the text. You didn’t need to look at the photos. You still didn’t have the desire to see them. The fact that you had made it through the photoshoot was a miracle in and of itself.

Finally, you sent off the article. You closed your laptop and leaned back in your chair, “Promise me that you’ll never procrastinate on an article ever again.”

She groaned in response. She was still hunched in front of her laptop. With a few more clicks, she buried her face into her pillow, “Sent. I promise. I never want to feel this tired ever again,” she lifted her head, dark circles under her eyes, “If we fall asleep now, how many hours of sleep will we get?”

“I don’t want to look,” you got up from your chair and climbed into bed. Unfortunately, you caught a glance of your alarm clock as you did so. You wilted, “Three hours.”

“Thank you for everything you did today, _____,” her voice softened. She sounded tired, “I wouldn’t have been able to finish the article without you.”

“It’s fine,” you closed your eyes, “Just don’t expect me to model anything else.”

“That’s okay. I’ll buy a mannequin for the fall fashion article.”

“Perfect. Now get some sleep.”

“Good night.”


	2. Compliment

When the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, you and Tsukiko left your classroom. There was no meeting for the magazine club, so you could spend the rest of your day as you saw fit. You were already making a list of all of the homework you had.

Tsukiko, on the other hand, yawned, “I don’t know what it is about that history class, but I’m always so tired by the end of it.”

You didn’t say anything in response. Tsukiko adored sleep. You wouldn’t be surprised if she took a nap as soon as she came within five feet of her bed. Rounding another corner brought you past the school store. You glanced to the magazine rack next to it. Most of the shelves were empty. You had even seen a few girls in your class reading the magazine in their laps. You refocused on the path ahead of you, “The new issue’s doing pretty well.”

“Mhm,” Tsukiko grinned, “And now, since we don’t have to worry about the next deadline for a while, we should do something to celebrate!”

“Don’t we have three quizzes next week?” you glanced to her warily. Somehow, you had the feeling that her plan would involve something extravagant.

“We still have the weekend,” she pointed out.

You paused. You had to admit that the idea of having some fun sounded much better than slogging through your homework, “…What did you have in mind?”

“The Samezuka Cultural Festival is taking place this week,” there was a bounce to her step as she walked.

“We have a Cultural Festival at Midori, too.”

“Yeah, but it’s different at Samezuka! They’re a sports powerhouse. Besides, who doesn’t like to visit a school full of cute boys?”

Tsukiko’s comment gave you pause. Your thoughts were immediately drawn to the boy you had bumped into at the convenience store. He had been wearing a Samezuka jacket. You cleared your throat. Samezuka was a rather large school. It was unlikely that you would run into him. You deserved to have a good time, “Sure. When do you want to go?”

“Let’s go today. We can change out of our uniforms before we leave.”

Before you had the chance to suggest another day, she promptly grabbed your arm and hurried toward your dorm.

You had to admit that the Samezuka Cultural Festival lived up to Tsukiko’s excitement. Various booths sold both cute and practical items. There were a few performances going on just out of earshot from each other, ranging from music to theatrics. You found yourself constantly searching for the next fantastic sight. Sure, Midori did something similar, but the Cultural Festival was a stressful time for the magazine club. Making sure that all of the activities got proper coverage both before and during the festivities became more and more daunting every year. It was nice to simply enjoy your surroundings.

You turned to Tsukiko. She had bought several items already, but you were starting to get a bit hungry, “I think we’re about halfway through. Should we stop for some food?”

“Sure,” she wrestled with all of the bags she was carrying, “My arms could use a break. We should go to the café. I heard that it’s tradition for the swim team. It should be somewhere nearby.”

You looked around, spotting a sign hanging over a set of double doors, “Found it.”

Upon stepping inside the café, you realized that most of the swim team was dressed as maids. Your eyes widened. Warmth spread through your cheeks. The uniforms were cute. The boys wearing them were cute. Tsukiko was right to suggest going to the café.

Finding an empty table was easy enough. The drinks and food that you ordered were delicious.

However, as more time passed, you began to wonder if there was something going on. The maid that was serving you almost seemed to recognize you when he first approached. After that, he seemed a bit awkward, sparing you the occasional nervous glance. You hadn’t said anything about it. You wanted to pass it off as him being a bit embarrassed by his outfit. When you received the same look from other Samezuka students, the worry began to eat away at you.

Finally, your resolve broke. You leaned over to Tsukiko, “Is it just me, or are some of the swim team members giving me weird looks?”

“Hm?” she looked to a pair of maids. They were whispering to each other, one of them gesturing in the direction of your table. She grinned, “I bet they want to ask you out.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not it,” you deadpanned, then got out your wallet, “Anyway, we still have half of the festival to get through. We should get going.”

“All set?” a new server approached your table, “I hope you enjoyed everything.”

“It was great, thank you,” you looked up, only to freeze. The boy from the convenience store was standing in front of you, dressed as a butler. You kept your expression neutral. There was no way that he would recognize you. It was a chance encounter that-

He grinned, “Hey, it’s good to see you again.”

You swallowed thickly. You could see Tsukiko frantically glancing between you and the boy in your periphery. You offered a small smile in return, “You too.”

“Sorry, I didn’t get your name earlier,” he pointed to himself, “I’m Seijuro Mikoshiba. Captain of the Samezuka swim team.”

“_____ ______,” you replied, “I’m from Midori. I’m an editor for Midori Monthly.”

“Ah!” he only became more enthusiastic, “That’s right! I saw the photos. You looked great!”

At first, you misheard. You waved off his praise, “Oh, I don’t edit the photos. That’s all Tsu. I didn’t…” your words caught in your throat when you realized what he meant. He recognized you from the photos. How the hell did he know it was you?!

“Hey, captain,” a maid waved from nearby, “Can I get some help with these drinks?”

“Sure thing,” Seijuro called over his shoulder before returning his attention to you, “I’ll be right back.”

You couldn’t say anything. You were still speechless, trying to figure out what tipped him off that you had modelled the swimsuits. A sudden thought came to mind. On a magazine rack near the room’s entrance, some issues of Midori Monthly were for sale. You put your money on the table and got up from your chair. You grabbed one of the magazines, frantically flipping through the pages.

You stopped. On the penultimate page of Tsukiko’s article was a paragraph that highlighted the importance of wearing something that, above all, made the wearer feel comfortable and fierce. The last page showed your entire body, including your face. You flipped back through the pages. Tsukiko had forgotten to crop your face out before sending it to the girls in charge of page formatting. They didn’t know of your arrangement with Tsukiko, so they had posted the full images. You froze. You didn’t know what to do.

Tsukiko, now by your side, gently took the magazine from your hands, “They look great,” she spoke softly, trying to cheer you up. When you didn’t look at her, she sighed, “I’m sorry, _____. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Your stomach felt like it was in knots. Was this why the magazine had sold so well? Were other schools buying it because of your photos? You forced those thoughts from your mind. You took a deep breath, then exhaled shakily, “It’s fine,” you turned to her, “C’mon, we might as well enjoy the rest of the festival while we’re here.”

“What about that guy?”

“I left money on the counter,” you replied.

“He wanted to talk to you,” Tsukiko protested, “I think we should wait and see what he has to say.”

You hesitated. She had a point. He had been nice the entire time, and you were about to run off. You would feel guilty if you left now. You rubbed the back of your neck.

“Sorry about that,” Seijuro approached, “I’m glad I caught you before you left.”

“Did you want to say something?” you asked. You knew that Tsukiko would pout at you over your abrasiveness, but you need to know what was going on in Seijuro’s head.

“I was thinking that we could hang out during summer break,” his smile was still wide, “You don’t go on a trip or anything, do you?”

For a moment, you stared at him incredulously. He wanted to hang out? You cleared your throat, “No, I was planning on staying here for the summer.”

“Great,” he smiled, then another member of the swim team called his name, “Sorry, I’ve got to get back to work. Feel free to stop by our swim practice if you have time.”

As he walked away, you were well aware of Tsukiko staring at you. You sighed, “I ran into him when I was buying snacks for our all-nighter.”

“_____! He’s a total hottie! You just snagged yourself the swim team’s captain!”

“He just wants to hang out,” you argued.

“He said that your photos were cute,” she argued right back, “Which means that he thinks you’re cute.”

Your brow twitched. You couldn’t argue with that, not when he had now called you cute twice.

“Aha! See? You’re interested in him, too, right?”

“C’mon,” you dodged the question, “The festival is almost over for the day.”

“It’s okay, we can come back and see Seijuro tomorrow.”

You cast her a glare, though it quickly faded as she laughed and grabbed your arm. She was lucky that she was impossible to stay mad at.

“I should have taken a picture of him in that uniform,” she lamented, “It would have made for a good birthday present for you, don’t you think?”

“Don’t push it.”


End file.
